The Annual Elder and Next Generation Ball
by scathachshadow
Summary: Scathach has to attend her grandmothers ball, again, but maybe this year it won't be so bad. Scathach/Billy the Kid
1. Chapter 1

_A Scáthach story, set after the last book_

"Annual Elder and Next Generation Ball" Scathach groaned as she picked up the envelope. Really, her grandmother was so annoying at times like these. The witch of Endor's year consisted of planning her annual ball. It was a privilege in the Elder world to be invited, meant you were important, or dangerous, or both. But attendance was and always had been compulsory for the witch's grand-daughters, as much as they loathed it. Much of the night involved Scathach's family arguing, her brother getting so drunk that he can hardly stand, and her mother and grandmother trying to marry her off to some warlord.

"Curse Aoife anyways" she said outloud. Aoife was happily married, with a baby on the way meaning that this year ball might be more unbearable then previous ones. With Aoife married and out of the way, all focus would be on single Scáthach.

Scáthach flung the envelope on the ground of her tiny pristine apartment and stomped upstairs.

"Nothing to wear!" Clothes were flung on her bed (never slept in), on the floor (pristine Canadian oak) and some on the landing. Ball gowns from almost every century, but nothing that she liked anymore. Just as she was about to delve deeper into her wardrobe, she heard a knock and a clatter downstairs. Scáthach pursing her lips, cast her gaze down the stairs.

"Who's there?" her voice rang out in the little apartment.

"Just me", the southern drawl was enough of an indication. Billy the Kid. Scáthach heard him step over the threshold, his boots clicking on her oak floor. There was a shuffling noise, and taking the stairs two at a time, he bounded into her room.

"Hello there" was his chipper greeting. His face was lit up with a boyish grin, in stark contrast to the frown Scáthach shot at him.

"Well what's up with you doll?" He always called her doll, even though she hated it. He plonked down on her bed, among the dresses, he asked again.

"Well?" Blue eyes unblinking.

Scáthach signed, and pushed an errant red lock out of her face.

"Annual Elder and Next Gen ball, thats what," she finished. Billy perked up at that.

"You got an invitation too?" he asked, incredulously.

"Well yes, it's my granny who holds it Billy," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. She gave him her famous _you-really-don't-know-anything_ look, and proceeded to shovel dresses back into her wardrobe.

Billy's face fell, and made an "Oh" remark.

"I got an invitation" he said quietly. "Might be fun" he mused.

She grabbed a green satin dress that Billy was lying on, and yanked it from under him.

"Trust me, it won't be." She turned, and proceeded to wedge the last remaining clothes into the wardrobe, in vain.

"But you'll be there," he finished, and winked. She rolled her eyes. There was no way she was going to be drawn into a flirtation with Billy the Kid, no matter how dashing he was sitting on top of her immaculate bed.

"Go with the green satin, I like it," was his last comment. Scáthach cleared her throat and ushered him downstairs, complaining that he hadn't done enough practise with his double tonfa's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#

* * *

"Just the way I imagined it, I knew it would be painful," Scathach moaned. Aoife took no noticed, only stoked her swollen stomach.

The ballroom of Fairmont hotel was packed with Elders and next generation and a handful of immortal humani, and unfortunately most of Scáthachs family. The witch of Endor had already tried to pawn her off on three men, all hideous. She looked around, seeing her brother chatting up some brunette, her mother and father at the bar, and her disgusting feathered serpent of a cousin, Quetzalcoatl, and his right-hand man, Billy the Kid.

She turned her attention back to her sister.

"It's alright for you, you've got Niten, and she won't be annoying you" she added. Aoife frowned and looked at her twin sister.

"Well maybe if you got yourself your *own* boyfriend, grandma wouldn't insist on finding one for you," Aoife smiled triumphantly at her own logic. Scathach just sulked some more.

"What about that cute blonde," Aoife piped up, just as Niten crossed the hall.

"What cute blonde?" he asked, placing a chaste kiss on Aoife's lips. Scathach grimaced.

"The one that you're always training with," and Aoife nudged her foot for obvious effect. Scathach turned to look at the couple.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Scathach exclaimed. Aoife blushed. Scathach continued, "You were the one that invited Billy?"

Niten frown, "Billy? Billy the Kid?"

"Grandma made me Scáth, honest" Aoife pleaded. Scáthach threw her eyes up to heaven.

"Oh come on, Scath" Aoife sighed. "He's cute, and been staring at you all night," At that exact moment, Scathach and Niten turned to look at the corner where Quetelcoatl and Billy had been all night. Billy was sitting, nursing a whiskey, staring right at them. Scáthach caught his eye; he blushed and averted his gaze.

"Told you" Aoife chipped in.

"So not helping Aoife" Scáthach added. She strode away before anything else could be said.

"He is kinda cute, I suppose" Niten added, and Aoife nodded in agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

_A few days before_

So, what will *_I_* wear? Billy lashed out with his tonfa for effect. Scathach stepped back, and quickly stuck her foot out, swiping Billy to his knees. Billy groaned as his knees cracked on the wooden floor.

"Do you even own a suit?" she asked, and reached out her pale hand to his. Scáthach pulled him up and held him as he swayed on the spot for a second. Her green eyes looked up to his blue ones. He stumbled a little, knees probably still hurt. Scáthach spotted him, placing pale hands on his forearms. Billy wasn't exactly tall, but he was a head taller than the warrior maiden. Lean, and rangy where she was short and slim, they were a good match for sparring.

Billy screwed up his face, and though for a second.

"I think I have a confederate uniform knocking about somewhere," he grinned, and squeezed her hips gently. Scathach turned away, not wanting him to see the blush creep across her face. She manoeuvred her way from Billy's hold, and threw his tonfa at him.

"Use the two tonfas now," Scáthach gave him a second tonfa to practise with. Two black tonfas with intricate celtic swirls etched into the handles for grip.

Scáthach hadn't known Billy for long. Only a few months. They had met by chance, and had virtually wiped out the vampire population of Las Vegas. They had teamed up several times after that incident. Hunted wendigos in Yosemite Park, destroyed a coven of changelings in Long Beach, and recently bumped off two ghouls that they discovered, two streets over in San Francisco.

He spun both tonfa in his hands, expertly.

"These'll come in handy on Friday," he nodded at the black weapons.

"New gig?" she asked, re-strapping her hands, and shrugging off her hoody. Billy nodded, watching her every move.

He's a gunfighter, he's supposed to watch people, and he was very good at it. Scáthach could never use the same move twice. He was quick to predict movements, and to defend against them. She hadn't had a pupil like him in a long time.

His eyes wandered from her posed hands, to her face, green eyes, finally stopping at her pale, extenuated clavicles. His graze made her uncomfortable, like he knew exactly what she was thinking. She didn't breath. His breath quickened. He swallowed audible and flowed into a stance position.

"Ready?," he asked.

Scáthach brushed her red hair back,

"Of course," she snapped.

Midway through practice there was a knock on the door. The only person that calls on Scáthach was Billy. Billy had her pinned to the wall against his tonfa, so she was relieved at the distant knocking sounds.

Billy brought his face close to Scáthach. She could see the flecked blue of his eyes, his five-o'clock-shadow forming around his jaw , she could smell the sweet tangy cayenne pepper and for a split-second Scathach though that he was going to kiss her.

"I'd better get that" she mumbled, indicating to the tonfa, and his proximity. Billy pulled away, and grinned.

Clearing her throat, Scathach walked towards her back door. Joan stood patiently behind the heavily armoured door.

"Scáth!" she called out.

Scathach heaved the door open for her friend. Joan burst in, shopping bags in tow.

"Guess what I've been doing?" she squealed girlishly. Billy, hearing the commotion, was leaning against the dojo door watching the two women.

The red haired warrior cocked her head at Billy, as an apology for Joan's intrusion. The other blond woman bustled passed, continuing at a mile a minute.

"I've been looking for a dress that will match with that bag; you know the one I got in Milan? It's a bit dated but those thing come back in fashion every on- "

Joan trailed off when she came face to face with Billy. He grinned looking back towards both women.

Joan turned slowly, indicating at the young man.

"I didn't know you had company," she began, eying up the gunfighter.

"Joan, this is William Bonney" Scáthach introduced. Billy extended his arm, and gently took Joan's hand, placing a chaste kiss on it. Scáthach frowned, as Joan blushed.

"Mrs Joan of Arc" Scathach added.

Billy laughed, and nodded at Joan. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I had no idea-"

Scathach interrupted by dragging Joan and her shopping into the kitchen. "We were just finished practising, right Billy?"

Billy's head snapped up to look at Scáthach. He nodded after a brief hesitation.

"Right, we were finished," He grabbed his jacket and car keys from the hall, and turned to face the two, aware that he was no longer welcome.

"I'll be off so, but I'll see you at the ball right?"


End file.
